For over fifty-six years (2023), the U.S. Army's Golden Knights Parachute Team has served as "Ambassadors" of the Army's only offical demonstration team. It all began in 1959 when Brigadier General Joseph Stilwell Jr. gathered 19 "Airborne" Soldiers with the original intent to compete in the sport skydiving during the Cold War. Dominated by the Soviet Union, the U.S. Army team swept the international competition, setting the foundation of perfection we witness today.

Their first demonstration was in Danville, Virginia and not too long after, the team earned its nickname, "Golden Knights," in 1962. Golden, signifying the gold medals the team had won, while "Knights," was the moniker that proved they were world champions who "conquered the skies." The Golden Knights is just one of three Department of Defense (DoD) authorized demonstration teams. The Thunderbirds and the Blue Angels the other two.